Jane Austen the complete Novels

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My goal for the summer was to re-read Jane Austen's novels in their entirety. And I'm happy to say, I'm finished. It's been some time since I sat down to read any of her novels. I've probably watched the movies more than I've actually sat down to read them. I know many people do an annual reading of her works. I'm not sure I could do that - but would instead place them into the "read these books at different times of your life" category. The writer of the universally popular Pride And Prejudice explores another angle of the conflicts of dealing with life as it is dealt out - wealth and relative status, temptation and opportunities, family and relationships, extended family and relatives, and love that never might be attained. Above all are rectitude and character and values, to be never lost whatever the temptation. Upon the whole, Mr. Parker was evidently an amiable family man, fond of wife, children, brothers and sisters, and generally kind-hearted; liberal, gentlemanlike, easy to please; of a sanguine turn of mind, with more imagination than judgement. And Mrs. Parker was as evidently a gentle, amiable, sweet-tempered woman, the properest wife in the world for a man of strong understanding but not of a capacity to supply the cooler reflection which her own husband sometimes needed; and so entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion that whether he was risking his fortune or spraining his ankle, she remained equally useless."

Persuasion” ~ Ah, young love! Anne has fallen in love with a captain in the navy, but is persuaded against the match by her aristocratic connections, reasons that all seemed good at the time. Years later, the lovers cross paths and Anne discovers her love is still very much alive. Can there be any hope when in earlier years there was much opposition to their match? More importantly, does he still feel the same way about her after she had rejected his offer? Couples that might change the world with their love are torn asunder by a disapproving bunch of relatives or even religious heads with their "concern" for the "soul" of the one who might bring wonderious gifts but is not one of them (hence the gifts of course), and the miracle that would have been the families and souls generated with such love are nipped in the bud. Of course, it is only the couple that knows the tremendous love and the pain and suffering of being torn asunder, while others merely go about congratulating one another for having averted an unsuitable match with an outsider. His choosing to walk with her, she had learnt to understand. It was done to pique Miss Brereton. She had read it, in an anxious glance or two on his side; but why he should talk so much nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible. He seemed very sentimental, very full of some feeling or other, and very much addicted to all the newest-fashioned hard words, had not a very clear brain, she presumed, and talked a good deal by rote. ... " Austen Connections: While many of Austen’s stories and characters have prompted speculation about real-life inspirations, Looser explains that it’s all just that—speculation—with the exception of one tidbit from Mansfield Park. strong>Austen Connections: While many of Austen's stories and characters have prompted speculation about real-life inspirations, Looser explains that it's all just that—speculation—with the exception of one tidbit from Mansfield Park.Though Austen wasn’t officially identified by name on her books during her lifetime, after Mansfield Park was published, Austen’s identity was becoming something of an open secret, Looser explained. “She was publishing anonymously, but she was not unknown. Her brother Henry Austen even wrote about how Jane was invited to a literary evening by ‘a nobleman, personally unknown to her, but who had good reasons for considering her to be the authoress of that work’ and ‘was desirous of her joining a literary circle at his house.’ She turned down the invitation, but the fact that it came in the first place shows that her authorship was less private than we usually describe it to be.” Yes, yes, he is very well to look at. And it is to be hoped that some lady of large fortune will think so, for Sir Edward must marry for money. He and I often talk that matter over. A handsome young fellow like him will go smirking and smiling about and paying girls compliments, but he knows he must marry for money. And Sir Edward is a very steady young man in the main and has got very good notions.”"

Sense and Sensibility- Two protagonists for the price of one! I didn’t actually know how this one would end, which kept it interesting. The romances are usually quite predictable. Austen also explores ideas of the picturesque and how higher society often pretend to appreciate what they clearly don’t understand. A sharp piece of writing. No one wears nice clothes anymore unless they have white collar job, and even then it seems some are casual dress. Kids today can wear pajamas to school. Where's our dignity today? Seriously! The dedication to the Prince Regent read: “To His Royal Highness The Prince Regent, This Work Is, By His Royal Highness’s Permission, Most Respectfully Dedicated, By His Royal Highness’s Dutiful And Obedient Humble Servant, The Author.” The most gentle love story from Austen repertoire, with the usual cache of gentle women and men following a normal course of life for their day while falling into easy traps of faults or follies and realising their mistakes and generally rising above, with their counterpart of men and women of small follies or serious faults of character providing examples of how not to be or behave.

And that reminds me, that the twists at the end of NA are as fast-paced and breathtaking as in any of the later books. Also, the sketch of Catherine's mother, at the end, as a sort of overworked, over anxious, barely affectionate country parson's wife is very well done. This to me feels like a proto-Pride and Prejudice, showing flashes of the genius for sly wit and sardonic character observations that P&P is renowned for but not the same skill with plot and pacing and a surprisingly anaemic set of romantic interests for the young sisters. It reminds me of reading early Shakespeare; it shows promise of what is to come later but on its own it doesn't justify the author's reputation. mp_sf_list_0_description:What It's About:Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwoods, sisters Elinor and Marianne, and their romantic endeavors. Marianne wears her heart on her sleeve, plunging headfirst into love. Elinor, on the other hand, is cautious and cares about social convention. Mansfield Park- What can I say? The only Austen I didn’t give five stars. It was just boring with an absent protagonist. I was glad to finish it.

Northanger Abbey- This was my first Austen. And I loved the way she defended the novel and reading throughout. Though she was an advocate of proper reading and not becoming disengaged from reality to the point where you think your life is a gothic romance. A very amusing read! That is because while this is assumed to be a romance it is really a very astute picture of society that transcends time and geography and social boundaries and cultures, and applies universally to any place where there are young women at an age ripe to marry without dowries to bring out grooms out of the woods swarming. This is all the more so when the young women in question are not about to while away time with pretense of careers and attempts at education while the men they school and party with are getting ready, or any other subterfuges of societies they belong to. I really enjoyed this... I think I can connect to Emma the best out of all the Jane Austen heroines I've met so far, at least as far as personality, not necessarily matchmaking. And can understand things blowing up in your face and regretting decisions... seriously, who can't? Anyway. I think this might be my favorite so far. :) In between was his aunt arriving haughtily to obtain a reassuarance from her to the effect that she would not marry him - which not only made her stubborn but made the three concerned (the two and the aunt) realise that she might be considering it seriously, although his offer had not been left on the table indefinitely.

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Now, brings me to my last point. Masculinity. Women have read these books since forever and I've always heard them goo-goo and ga-ga over Mr. Darcy and other men in these books. Why? It's because they are masculine men. These men are gentleman, good, kind, and respectful. Girls like that. However, today, the masculine man is being demonized.

Pride and Prejudice” ~ Ah yes, the handsome Mr. Darcy, but out of misplaced pride he snubs Elizabeth Bennet on their introduction. Consequently she perceives him to be cold and aloof, sparking her prejudice against him despite his fortune and good looks. Will ever the twain meet? This volume provides an inexpensive way to follow Jane Austen's work from beginning to end--if you have 43 hours to spend reading it. The decision to publish anonymously wasn’t an uncommon one. “About half of all novels in this period were published with some form of anonymity,” Looser noted. “And some novelists started out publishing anonymously but then ended up putting their names on their works after the books gained acclaim, as late as the fourth or fifth edition. Had Austen lived longer than 1817, it’s possible that she would have decided to follow suit and put her name on her works as her own. It doesn’t seem likely, but it’s possible.” Jane Austen can be deemed one of the best classic authors of all time. Women have loved her for ages and rightly so. Her stories are filled with characters who are well rounded and believable. The only novels I didn't like were Emma and Mansfield Park. Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion I liked the most. Throughout her life Jane kept up regular correspondences with her sister Cassandra, her friends and her nieces and nephews. Although Cassandra removed anything deeply personal from these letters after Jane’s death, they tell of her attitude to her work, describing it as ‘the little bit (two inches wide) of Ivory on which I work with so fine a brush, as produces little effect after much labour’. This modest assessment was not shared by Sir Walter Scott or by the Prince Regent, who kept a set of her novels in each of his residences.

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Northanger Abbey” ~ Catherine, the daughter of a clergyman, is invited by a family friend to visit the famous spa town of Bath with them. While there she meets a dashing young gentleman who soon catches her eye and her heart, however, another bachelor attempts to monopolize her time and keep her away from the attentions of anyone else. Can Catherine ditch the self-centred control freak and be allowed to pursue the man who mystifies her? Sense and Sensibility” ~ After a death in the family, the once wealthy Dashwoods are reduced in their monetary means and are compelled by their change in circumstances to move to a humble cottage on the estate of a distant relative. Can the Dashwood sisters weather the trials of meagre living and find true love among the eligible men from the higher echelons of society now that they must suffer their reduced circumstances? Did You Know? Austen had begun writing Mansfield Park in 1811, the very same year as the publication of Sense and Sensibility and her revision work on Pride and Prejudice. Then in 1813, Mansfield Park was completed and accepted for publication, on the heels of Pride and Prejudice’s publication just the year before.